If Sunak loses 5 by-elections, would the Tories...

[Kermit power]

I was just reading this article musing over the possibility of Sunak losing 5 by-elections.

It seems fairly unlikely, especially with Labour and the Lib Dems seemingly splitting the opposition vote in at least one, but what do people think will happen next if that does come to pass?

If we had a properly democratic PR system, I could see the party splitting down the middle, but under FPTP, I really can't imagine any of the self-serving leaches at the top being willing to risk career oblivion by repeating the creation of the SDP, so I can only really see them shifting fairly dramatically either left or right, but which would it be?

Their natural inclination might be to shift right, but where do they go with that? The reaction to Truss and Kwateng's right-leaning economic policies was swifter and almost as brutal as the French Revolution, so I'm not sure they've got enough scope there, and the ludicrous, obscenely cruel migration policies being targeted at the small boat migrants might play well with the existing blue-rinse ultras, but to everyone else, the comparison with record legal migration that the country can't survive without just shines an enormous spotlight on the deceit that was "taking back control", so do they have space to shift right on non-economic policies without being crucified by floating voters?

The other alternative is to dump the toxicity of people like Braverman and turn sharply back to the centre ground, but whilst that might well have worked against Corbyn, all Starmer really has to do is sit there saying "we're already doing that, and we're not nasty racists unless you're Jewish", so where's the space for the Tories there?

I used to run the Conservative Students at my Uni back in the 90s, and couldn't ever imagine voting any other way. Today, I'm seriously wondering whether they will have gone the way of the Whigs before I retire!

Some on here doubtless think I'm some sort of rabid socialist, but I'm not. I'm just utterly disgusted with what the post-Major generations have done to eviscerate the political party that once reflected my views almost exactly, and now doesn't in any way.

Maybe oblivion followed by a new party coming through - ideally under PR, coupled with a 5x payrise for MPs who wouldn't then be allowed to undertake outside work and central funding for political parties in lieu of businesses, individuals or unions donating - is the only way we get politics in this country back on track?

ETA - That's weird! I set this up as a poll, but it hasn't come out that way! The options I had were...

1. Turn Right.
2. Turn Left.
3. Split in two.
4. Something else.

Edited by Kermit power on Thursday 6th July 05:42

[Crumpet]

I dunno, but as someone who has voted nothing but conservative it’s a shame to see it come to this. I simply won’t bother voting again - they’re all s.

I’m not a million miles off looking at emigrating. VAT on school fees is one step closer, an attack on pension allowances would probably be the the point where I’m done.

I just feel like I’m being utterly rinsed for tax whoever is in power.

[Dog Star]

I’m totally disgusted with them - utterly useless. Utterly corrupt.

What amazes me is the con they’re pulling on the people that now vote for them. How does what they do and represent stand for anything that is important to any normal voter in just about any social sector? And who looks at someone like Rees-Mogg and thinks he’s a man of the people, who has the slightest fking clue? Hey, I’ll vote for him, yeah! FFS look at the bloke!

It’s quite an amazing deception they’ve pulled off.

I say this as someone with a framed portrait of Thatcher on his office wall. She’d be disgusted with the disgraceful shower of st in power now. As am I.

[Blue62]

Dog Star said:

I’m totally disgusted with them - utterly useless. Utterly corrupt.

What amazes me is the con they’re pulling on the people that now vote for them. How does what they do and represent stand for anything that is important to any normal voter in just about any social sector? And who looks at someone like Rees-Mogg and thinks he’s a man of the people, who has the slightest fking clue? Hey, I’ll vote for him, yeah! FFS look at the bloke!

It’s quite an amazing deception they’ve pulled off.

I say this as someone with a framed portrait of Thatcher on his office wall. She’d be disgusted with the disgraceful shower of st in power now. As am I.

I share your pain, I can’t believe how anyone could look back on the last thirteen years and vote for more of the same. I firmly believe Brexit was the moment when the charlatans and grifters grabbed the levers of power, if we’d had decent, competent government who knows what we might have achieved.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Blue62 said:

I share your pain, I can’t believe how anyone could look back on the last thirteen years and vote for more of the same. I firmly believe Brexit was the moment when the charlatans and grifters grabbed the levers of power, if we’d had decent, competent government who knows what we might have achieved.

Bang on the money. But it's far easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. So most people are completely unaware that they've been had by con artists and liars.

[Kermit power]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Blue62 said:

I share your pain, I can’t believe how anyone could look back on the last thirteen years and vote for more of the same. I firmly believe Brexit was the moment when the charlatans and grifters grabbed the levers of power, if we’d had decent, competent government who knows what we might have achieved.

Bang on the money. But it's far easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. So most people are completely unaware that they've been had by con artists and liars.

Whilst I wouldn't disagree, I believe there may already be a thread about Brexit!

I was hoping we could have one less about how they've got to where they are and more about where they're likely to go next?

[turbobloke]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

Blue62 said:

I share your pain, I can’t believe how anyone could look back on the last thirteen years and vote for more of the same. I firmly believe Brexit was the moment when the charlatans and grifters grabbed the levers of power, if we’d had decent, competent government who knows what we might have achieved.

Bang on the money. But it's far easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled. So most people are completely unaware that they've been had by con artists and liars.

Within today's benchmark of equality in mediocrity, that's all of them - though as ever some are more equal than others.

If Sunak loses x by-elections he'll most likely carry on, as it will barely make a dent in the majority.

All the BBC sentiment-based campaign articles for Starmer that he gets for free mean zilch.

[deckster]

If they lose all 5 by-elections it will definitely still be Tony Blair's fault. Or possibly Jeremy Corbyn's.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Jasey_ said:

deckster said:

If they lose all 5 by-elections it will definitely still be Tony Blair's fault. Or possibly Jeremy Corbyn's.

Or Boris.

Well that would be fair enough. Boris and his antics is one of very many reasons why the party is held in such utter contempt by so many.